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Originally Posted by JSWolf
(IMHO), the Kindle has built-in obsolescence due to it's AZW and lack of ePub. So buying a Kindle is like buying a singe core CPU based computer. I cannot see how Amazon will survive without adding ePub support. They won't make it outside the USA for one. By adding a dictionary to the 600, Sony has just upped the stakes and take away the biggest objection to ePub.
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But for folks deciding what to buy right now, Amazon still has better content selection and the great combination of sample chapters and wireless delivery. That's pretty compelling. The DRM is strippable on AZW so I'm not concerned about preserving the books I buy now. Besides, most consumers don't know anything about ePub. It's like Ogg Vorbis. It has so many advantages but not much market traction.
If they'd had this thing out a couple years ago, they might have grabbed a lot of the folks that now have Kindles. Now that they have Kindles, they likely won't switch. Us MobileRead geeks aren't like most people. We're really comfortable stripping DRM and shifting formats. Most people who have Kindles will stick with them because Amazon has their library and their books will just work. The best format doesn't always win. I really do hope ePub becomes the standard but I won't hold my breath. If it actually becomes necessary, though, you can bet Amazon will indeed switch. They don't seem to be a company that will stubbornly stick to a non-working strategy.